Page 43 of Pride, Prejudice, & Pretense

She repeated it all again, then looked at her phone.

She had promised Charlie she would try to contact Jane. She went toContactsand touched her friend's name. The phone rang and rang and then rolled over to voicemail. Lizzy ended the call without any message. She huffed in frustration, then shook her head when her phone rang in her hand.

Jane

"Jane," she answered eagerly as she put the phone to her ear, Wickham and the honeypot mission pushed out of her mind. "I've been trying to reach you!"

There was a long, uncharacteristic silence on the other end. When Jane spoke, her voice sounded strained. "Sorry, Lizzy, I wasn't sure what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"You're on a mission. I don't contact you on missions. I should never interfere in a mission."

"I know it's irregular, but then, this is an irregular mission. You know that Charles Bingley is one of my partners." Lizzy smiled to herself.

Jane's response erased the smile. "I do. And so is Agent Darcy." She spoke his name with an inflection almost comparable to that way Darcy spoke Wickham's name?an inflection unlike Jane.

"Yes, that's right. Do you know him? I suppose Charlie has mentioned him?"

"No. Actually, Charlie never mentioned him…or you, either. He told me he was on a mission but never named his partners or his location. He shouldn't have talked to me at all, but other than that, he didn't break protocol. He just…missedme. And I missed him. This, whatever it is between us, it's the best thing that ever happened to me!" Her words were accompanied by a sob rather than any sound of joy.

"Okay, Jane, but I still don't understand. How did you find out about the mission, about Darcy and me?"

"FromAgent Darcy.He called and told me that, since he had long known Charlie and knew how weak he could be when his feelings were involved—" Her voice broke. "He guessed I would be the stronger of the two of us, that I would tell Charlie that we could have no more interactions of any sort until the mission was done and he was back in D.C."

Another pause. "He forbade me to contact him or respond to his attempts at contact…or to contact you or respond to yours. But I couldn't just leave you ignorant, worried. I was sure that Darcy would keep this from you. After all, he told me he was going to keep it from Charlie. 'Better that way.' he said. 'We have to keep Agent Bennet safe. That’s our first?no, ouronlypriority.' That's what he said."

Lizzy was bewildered.Keep me safe? What about Wickham, the Wicker Man, the mission?"How would Agent Darcy know your phone number? Director Kellynch?"

"No, not Kellynch. Spycraft, or so Darcy said. He guessed Charlie’s phone password. It’s the same one Charlie used in school years ago on his ancient desktop. Darcy found my number there." Jane paused. "You'd think a spy like Charlie would know to change his password." She laughed, the sound watery.

"Would you? Isn't that justCharlie?" Lizzy asked, joining Jane's laugh in hopes of buoying her friend. "And Agent Darcy called you, talked to you, breaking protocol himself to prevent you and Charlie from breaking protocol?"

"He also underlined that keeping you safe was the best way of keeping Charlie safe and of safeguarding the mission. I thought…I thinkhe’s right, but I couldn't just leave it that way, just cut you and Charlie off cold. I can't tell Charlie all this, and I don't want you to tell him. It will destroy your mission. He's not like you?he can't control himself the way you can, Lizzy. Tell him that I feel the same way I have since our first date and thatI will still feel that way when he returns to D.C. I'll explain it all when he gets home. He's not to worry. And he's not to contact me until then. I will not respond. Can you do that? Will you?" She sighed and waited.

"Agent Darcy had no right, Jane.None. It's true that Charlie shouldn't have called you. But agents do these things. They have to, eventually. It's like being buried alive; you can't survive in deep cover without some attachments, links to your life. A source of air."Even calls to your crazy mother."And Jane, you're not simply a civilian. You were an analyst, and you are a Company employee. You know how to keep a secret."Unlike my mother. Hence my…less-than-truths…to her. "Agent Darcy overstepped his boundaries, really overstepped them. Son of a bitch!"

"Don't, Lizzy. I know your temper. Don't get mad at him. That'll just make everything harder, more dangerous. The three of you need to be a team. Control yourself. Be professional. You and Darcy in particular need to be a team, since you're under covertogether."

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"Darcy let it slip. When he called, I didn't just roll over and play dead. He got an earful, and then I did. That was unlike me, but he pissed me off. We took turns. We didn't end the conversation as friends, although I am trying to think better of him, of what he did. I do think he cares about you, Lizzy, and about Charlie. The mission. He believes he's doing the right thing. He takes his responsibilities seriously."

"Too seriously."

"Really? Yourlivesare at stake! Yes, I'd like to smack Agent Darcy for presumption, but the truth is that it's not clear Charlie can stay focused on his own. You know how hard it is for the best agents to do it. Although he’s a wonderful man, he's not the very best agent. He's not you…or Darcy. Please do what I ask for thesake of our friendship and for the sake of my relationship with Charlie. Keep him on task. Reassure him. And get along with Darcy! Please. Take care of yourself and Charlie. And Darcy. Be safe, Lizzy!"

She ended the call.

Lizzy stared at the floor, the phone dangling from her hand, and gritted her teeth in frustration. She wanted to go and slap Darcy for Jane. Slap him repeatedly.How dare he? He should have talked to me, not Jane, and asked me to intervene with Charlie.

She stood and began to pace. Despite her lingering exhaustion, it took a long time for her to finally go to bed.

It took her even longer to go to sleep. When she did, she dreamed a whirling dream of her mother and Jane and Charlie and Darcy and Day-Glo brides and white restaurants and ringing phones.

And Wickham, his elegant, dark shadow across it all.

***

---